Dance in Fire
by goldenglare
Summary: Shadow faces the truths he's been running from and unravels the mystery of his existance. This guy brings darkness into a whole new light.
1. Chapter 1

**Dance in Fire**

By: Goldenglare

_A/N: _This story is mostly from the view of Shadow the Hedgehog. It takes place in a fusion of the Sonic Adventure 1-2 world and the Sonic Battle world, after the events of Sonic Battle but before the upcoming 'Shadow the Hedgehog' game (released winter '05). It if rated for language and maybe a wee bit of sexual themes. Enjoy!

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Chapter 1:

He could see the images so clearly. The first time he used Chaos Control in the training arena on the space colony ARK, Maria's smiling face when he completed the doctor's most rigorous training program, the breathtaking view of earth from the control room. His mind began to race and he felt sweat dripping down his forehead. He saw the GUN ships dock and the troops pour out, Maria's agonized gasp as the first bullet hit her, her last breaths and his despair as she launched the capsule containing him towards earth, his last cry of rage as the military finally captured him and firing dart after dart of sedative until he at last went down. The images came faster and more intensely now. All of the people staring up at him in wonder and fear as he stood atop the bridge with his Chaos Emerald, that blue hedgehog's last blow that thwarted his attempts at realizing Eggman's dreams of world conquest, feeling the glow of his precious green chaos emerald one last time as he plummeted to earth…

Shadow the Hedgehog awoke with a cry. A scowl was set across his sweat drenched face. He looked around the crumbling rock enclosure that had been serving as his home for the past month. After making sure that there were no intruders, he tried as hard as he could to remember his dream. 'Just a second ago it was all so clear, but now I can't remember a thing…' Shadow punched the wall in frustration, causing a fragment to fall off. He would have to find a more permanent living space.

The black hedgehog walked the ancient paths of the Mystic Ruins deep in thought. One of the advantages of living in a jungle was that there were little to no interruptions, except the resident cat, which he had the misfortune to run into on occasion. 'I AM Shadow. I AM the Ultimate Life form. But am I the original, or just some mass-produced copy? Am I real… or not? No, I am here, now and it doesn't matter. But why can't I remember my past?'

"You know, you really shouldn't walk around with your eyes closed. It's not safe." The sudden voice caused Shadow to jump.

"Show yourself!" He charged his fist as a warning. Rouge the Bat dropped silently from the canopy.

"What, I can't drop in on old friends?" Shadow relaxed.

"Rouge… what do you want?" The thief fumbled with something clipped to her belt for a moment before producing a computer disk.

"I have something I think you should see." Her face was stern and serious.

"So, what is it?" Asked the hedgehog skeptically. She was silent for a moment.

"Shadow, how would you like to know who you are?"

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	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

"What are you talking about! I know who I am!"

A cool smile passed over Rouge's lips. "Oh really? Then I suppose you can tell me about your past. What about your creator? Or you could remind me of how you saved my life on the exploding Prison Island? Maybe you could tell me about what happened on ARK? More importantly, the _real _Shadow could tell me about Maria."

Shadow looked at his hands. "What… who am I! Am I a robot meant to be like the real Shadow, or am I simply another upgrade of Metal Sonic? Is that it? Am I an imitation of that annoying blue hedgehog?" Rouge walked over and put her hand on his shoulder.

"Look, I don't have all the answers, just some files that might help you understand some things. But if it's any consolation, you helped Omega and me beat Eggman and save the world. You've saved me more times than I can count. If that doesn't make you _'real' _then I don't know what does."

All was silent save the rustle of the leaves. Shadow finally spoke. "… Thank you. I would like to see those files."

Rouge's face brightened. "Great. We'll go to my penthouse in Station Square." The dark hedgehog smirked.

"What, you finally abandoned 'Club Rouge'?"

"No, we're going to my summer home. Lots of perks when you're an agent."

They climbed the ladder and boarded the monorail for station square.

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_( /\/ - POV change) _

Tails got out from under the engine of the Cyclone and wiped the sweat from his brow. As he got himself a glass of water, he caught a glimpse of two figures boarding the monorail outside. 'Hmm… I could've sworn that was… nah.' He was just preparing to get back to work when he saw something that sent chills up his spine. A jet was flying away from the falling form of Angel Island that bore an all too familiar emblem on it, and according to his scanners, it was giving off a unique brand of chaos energy.

"I'd better call Sonic…"

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Shadow couldn't help but feel a little impressed when they arrived at Rouge's penthouse. Everything in the room was either gold, had precious gems embedded in it, or both.

"You like it? I just had it remodeled. They say this room is worth more than the rest of the hotel." He cocked an eyebrow but said nothing. Across from the massive, jewel-encrusted TV was the computer, which was already booted up and ready to go. He declined the cushy chair Rouge offered him and stood behind her while she loaded the program. Almost instantly, a menu screen popped up with several different links.

"Hmm, where to begin?" She opted to bring up the schematics and blueprints for the original shadow. Although he didn't really understand all the equations involved with the Chaos Control theory, one thing that interested Shadow was a section describing how different emeralds altered his powers slightly.

"Okay, brace yourself for this." Rouge clicked another link and Shadow was amazed to find video footage of his two battles with the prototype on the space colony. However, she cut the feed just as it was getting to the point where the original Shadow fell to earth.

"I don't know if I should show you this, but I know you won't like it." Next there were photos of the interior of Eggman's flagship. The hedgehog's eyes widened in shock. Rows and rows of Shadow's, asleep in capsules identical to the one Rouge had awoken him from. An assembly line of Shadow look-alikes missing various limbs and parts. Finally, a close up picture of a Shadow missing its chest, revealing a complicated mesh of wires and mechanisms. All that followed was a series of plans and designs. Rouge looked up at the hedgehog. His eyes were closed and his breathing staggered. Her ears drooped and she spoke softly.

"Shadow… Omega and I didn't tell you this, but we saw that room on the flagship. I'm really sorry…"

Slowly, he opened his eyes. "So… I _am _just a robot. You could have woken up any other Shadow copy and it would have changed nothing. I guess I'm not the Ultimate Life form. Tch, you can barely even _call _me a life form." Without warning, Rouge slapped him hard across the face. He couldn't help but wonder how the doctor made a robot that could get hurt so easily.

"Would you just _shut up_! I'm not done showing you yet, you idiot!" She clicked the last link and a video came up. It showed a tropical jungle with several robots working in the background.

_'Dr. Eggman's log 1:_

_It has been exactly 46 hours since the Ultimate Life form codename: Shadow passed through earth's atmosphere after falling from the Space Colony ARK. According to my calculations, he should have impacted somewhere in this jungle. The purpose of this expedition is to find any remnants of DNA traces in hopes of cloning.'_

_'Dr. Eggman's log 6:_

_The search has proved to be a success! Somehow, Shadow survived the fall and impact in relatively perfect condition. Although most injuries are not going to heal nor do I have the technology to make them, he is still alive and I can keep him that way in suspended animation. Better still, a Chaos Emerald was found very close by in a crater. This hails a new era in the creation of the Eggman Empire.'_

_'Dr. Eggman's log 13:_

_After finding four more Chaos Emeralds, I have begun work on project 'Ultimate Army.' I have fused my latest robotic technology with DNA formats of Shadow and successfully created five robo-organic Shadow clones. I powered each with a Chaos Emerald. Four of them worked perfectly, but the one powered by the green Emerald went berserk and destroyed the other clones. After much effort I managed to shut him down, however, four of my five Emeralds were scattered again. I learned that I cannot simply disable the remaining clone, so I removed its Emerald and disposed of it. Something malfunctioned when it came in contact with the Emerald, which coincidentally, was the one Shadow had with him when he fell AND the one found near him in the jungle. In any case, the clone has been sealed in a secret underground facility and is guarded by my most powerful E-100 robot. 'Ultimate Army' looks like it will be a booming success.'_

After this, the screen went blank.

"Shadow," said Rouge, breaking the silence, "the key to all this is that Emerald."

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	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

The dust cleared and Shadow scanned his surroundings. Rouge had 'borrowed' the access codes to a government satellite network and had used it to pinpoint the Chaos Emerald. Although the uninhabited region of Pumpkin Hill was a little far away for his tastes, he would stop at nothing for answers. He looked around and saw a small gleam on the ledge below. Shadow leaped down and smirked as he clutched the green Chaos Emerald in his hands. He felt the familiar warmth pulsing through it as he focused its energy. Just then, the roaring sound of engines filled the air. The black hedgehog searched the sky for the source. He didn't have to look hard.

An enormous flying battleship cruised across the horizon. Even from his distance away, Shadow could see countless gun turrets covering its hull. There, on the side in bright yellow paint, was an insignia he had seen so many times before.

"Dr. Eggman… just the guy I wanted to see." With a quick toss of the Chaos Emerald and a blinding flash of light, Shadow vanished.

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A bright blue bi-plain soared through the air towards the Eastern Desert.

"So, what do you think Eggman wants with the Master Emerald?" asked Tails. Knuckles clenched his fist.

"I don't give a flying fuck! That fat bastard pulled some trick and stole my emerald. Well he isn't getting away with this. He's made a fool of me for the last time!" Sonic grinned.

"You're just pissed because he tricked you _again_." The echidna glared but looked down.

"… shut up."

Tails shook his head. "Okay guy, it should be just ahead an-" he gasped. The others looked and saw what had the young fox's attention.

"Crap!"

"Whoa! How does the old guy do it!"

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Rouge dashed silently through the hall of Eggman's base. While Shadow got his emerald, she decided to check up on the doctor. While helping Shadow had its own rewards, she was being paid a fortune for investigating and crippling project 'Ultimate Army,' maybe even double what she got for the data on the Gizoid. Skillfully avoiding a guard robo, she slid through a door onto a balcony overlooking the desert. The bat smiled as she noticed three brightly colored figures making their way towards the fortress.

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"How could Eggman make _another _Egg Carrier!" panted Knuckles as he stumbled through the dunes.

"I dunno," gasped Sonic, "but it's NOT a good sign." He glanced over enviously at Tails, who was having no problem gliding over the sand. A voice from above caught their attention.

"Long time, no see, boys. Did you come here to see what all the fuss is about, or to ask for a date?" Rouge glided down from the balcony and landed in front of the trio.

"What do YOU want?" Knuckles growled. The bat's face grew serious.

"It's not what I want, but what you _need_."

"What do you mean?"

She licked her lips seductively. "Why, me of course. C'mon big boy, admit it. You know you want me." Knuckles' face turned the same shade as the rest of his body.

"I, uh. Ummm. Er ah cough. ErrrrrrrrrrGAHHHHH! JUST GET OUT OF OUR WAY!" He stumbled past her muttering to himself. Sonic could barely suppress his laughter.

"C'mon Tails, we need to get going. Later, Rouge." And they dashed into the fortress.

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"Hmm, hmm. He's too easy." Rouge prepared to scale the base's walls when a loudspeaker rang through the perimeter.

"Egg Carrier 3, now clear to land. Repeat, Egg Carrier 3 is now clear to land."

Rouge scratched her head. "Now what could that mean?" As if on cue, the ground began to rumble and a gigantic runway emerged from beneath the desert sands. Upon gazing up at the sky, Rouge's jaw dropped. The Egg Carrier 3, although not as impressive as Eggman's previous fleet, was coming in for a landing several yards from where she was standing, revealing just how deadly it was. It seemed to be completely covered in guns, rocket launchers, and other means of destructive weaponry. Everything that wasn't meant for killing was plated with laser-reflecting steel, except for the deck which was encased in a bubble of chaos energy. Despite all the military secrets that she had, Rouge knew that there was nothing around that could touch that thing. A figure walked out on the balcony she had previously been standing on.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the government's top spy, Rouge the Bat?" Eggman cackled as he stared down at the intruder. "Are you impressed by my new toy? As unstoppable as it is, once I utilize its cargo, I will bring the world to its knees!"

"Hmm. That's what you think Doctor." She smirked and folded her arms. "You've been stopped every time you cooked up a scheme before. What makes you think this time will be any different?" The villain grinned widely.

"Perhaps, but you wont be around to see it." With a snap of his fingers, a small army of E-2000 drones swarmed around her, each with its cannon aimed straight at the bat. Her mind went blank and her head began to reel. Just as Rouge was about to meet her end, an earth-shattering explosion sent her and the robots flying across the sand. She turned and looked at the titanic inferno that was once the flying death machine she had viewed as indestructible. And there, walking out of the blaze with glowing red eyes was Shadow the Hedgehog, Chaos Emerald in hand.

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_A.N. - _Ok, the ending was a little clichéd, but not bad, right? Please review or email me personally.


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